Wednesday, January 18, 2006
MAY....2002
I’ve been under the weather a few days so we’ll pick up with the month of May 2002, in Esther’s story…….
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I worked until a few days before my birthday in May and then George drove down from Shawnee and Becky joined us for a trip to John and Barb’s. The idea was to celebrate mom’s big 70th birthday. Spring is such a nice time to travel south through Missouri and Arkansas, Mississippi and finally, Louisiana. We feasted our eyes on the many blooms between here and there. Our mood was jovial by the time we got to John and Barb’s…….we arrived by 6:10 and soon Brian and Faye showed up to complete the guest list for dinner at a favorite restaurant. We had a fun filled evening and then mom and Rocky faded fast. Lights out.
We slept late the next morning as we aren’t used to late hours…….Barbara had a good breakfast going and the aroma of coffee and food cooking brought us out of a deep sleep. After breakfast we were going to be guests of Brian and Faye’s……they live right on the river in a secluded area and we were going on a scenic boat ride. I can’t begin to spell or pronounce the name of the river but when John reads this he can put it in the comment section.
It was so very interesting on the boat trip. I am used to the blue lakes of Missouri and the rocky hillsides coming down to the water…….the creeks and rivers are clear for the most part. Although this river was muddy looking, compared to Missouri, it had its own beauty and charm. No hills, just flat. The water came up to trees draped in moss that hung lazily from dead limbs, egrets here and there, fish jumping now and then…….logs laying against the waterline where crocodiles like to lay in the sun, however not today. Brian and John were disappointed because they wanted us to see them…….
There is just something about Louisiana that calls you back…..time and time again. The people are masters of relaxation and hospitality. Their lifestyle is to be envied because they are happy in their existence and there is always time for fun. We lost John to Louisiana years ago when he first went there for studies in the Baptist Seminary. He took up every opportunity to learn about his new surroundings and made new friends. One friend from Seminary days is still with him…..Miss Barbara Bryant who became the Mrs. Barbara Strain. When John married a southern girl I knew he was gone for good. I couldn’t have picked a better mate for John if I tried……and I’d be silly IF I tried. That boy has a habit of making good decisions.
He called out the arsenal for my birthday bash. That evening a limo drove up to take all of us and some friends of John and Barb’s (that we have been acquainted with from our early visits) to the French Quarter for an evening of celebrating. The last place of the evening is always O’Flairity’s where there is a bit of Ireland and carefree folks who love a good time. My children had the musicians play the Birthday Song and Rocky pulled me to my feet to dance to it. It was the first time Rocky and I danced since our Senior Prom in 1949.…….well, you have to be our age to know how special that was for us. The moment was full of magic for both of us and I would imagine for my children as well.
We arrived home at a very early hour the next morning after all of our celebrating and the 45-minute trip back across Lake Pontchartrain. After a few hours sleep we headed right back to New Orleans for………..shopping!! We gals always have to go to the French Market and George always has to go to Café du Monde for beignets and coffee (he prefers chocolate). Of course, if he didn’t put it on the “to do” list, one of us would have to. It isn’t a visit until we’ve been to the Café du Monde. We initiated Rocky on his first visit by blowing powdered sugar all over him…….he’s a good natured guy so he laughed along with us when he realized he’d been “had.”
We had to celebrate my birthday one day early as the kids had to go to work and we needed to get home. So the eve of my birthday, we had a nice supper and all of the children gave me a beautiful gold necklace…….Brian and Faye were there to help with the festivities….I was treated like Queen of the Day….truly a royal evening.
The next day we hugged LJ goodbye as he headed off to school….then John and Barb……we gathered everything up in the van and headed north. Once home, George left the next morning and Becky returned to work. We were home in time to decorate my family graves before Memorial Day and the last day of the month Rocky and I met his sister Marie and her husband Harold at Rolla for lunch……then drove on to Cuba, Mo. where the Rockenbach parent’s are buried. It was a little late for Memorial Day but we wanted to take flowers. I have always respected Rocky‘s family and happy to have known all of them in earlier days.
It takes a lot of living to make a life…….and each life is worth living…….
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
***********************************************************************
I worked until a few days before my birthday in May and then George drove down from Shawnee and Becky joined us for a trip to John and Barb’s. The idea was to celebrate mom’s big 70th birthday. Spring is such a nice time to travel south through Missouri and Arkansas, Mississippi and finally, Louisiana. We feasted our eyes on the many blooms between here and there. Our mood was jovial by the time we got to John and Barb’s…….we arrived by 6:10 and soon Brian and Faye showed up to complete the guest list for dinner at a favorite restaurant. We had a fun filled evening and then mom and Rocky faded fast. Lights out.
We slept late the next morning as we aren’t used to late hours…….Barbara had a good breakfast going and the aroma of coffee and food cooking brought us out of a deep sleep. After breakfast we were going to be guests of Brian and Faye’s……they live right on the river in a secluded area and we were going on a scenic boat ride. I can’t begin to spell or pronounce the name of the river but when John reads this he can put it in the comment section.
It was so very interesting on the boat trip. I am used to the blue lakes of Missouri and the rocky hillsides coming down to the water…….the creeks and rivers are clear for the most part. Although this river was muddy looking, compared to Missouri, it had its own beauty and charm. No hills, just flat. The water came up to trees draped in moss that hung lazily from dead limbs, egrets here and there, fish jumping now and then…….logs laying against the waterline where crocodiles like to lay in the sun, however not today. Brian and John were disappointed because they wanted us to see them…….
There is just something about Louisiana that calls you back…..time and time again. The people are masters of relaxation and hospitality. Their lifestyle is to be envied because they are happy in their existence and there is always time for fun. We lost John to Louisiana years ago when he first went there for studies in the Baptist Seminary. He took up every opportunity to learn about his new surroundings and made new friends. One friend from Seminary days is still with him…..Miss Barbara Bryant who became the Mrs. Barbara Strain. When John married a southern girl I knew he was gone for good. I couldn’t have picked a better mate for John if I tried……and I’d be silly IF I tried. That boy has a habit of making good decisions.
He called out the arsenal for my birthday bash. That evening a limo drove up to take all of us and some friends of John and Barb’s (that we have been acquainted with from our early visits) to the French Quarter for an evening of celebrating. The last place of the evening is always O’Flairity’s where there is a bit of Ireland and carefree folks who love a good time. My children had the musicians play the Birthday Song and Rocky pulled me to my feet to dance to it. It was the first time Rocky and I danced since our Senior Prom in 1949.…….well, you have to be our age to know how special that was for us. The moment was full of magic for both of us and I would imagine for my children as well.
We arrived home at a very early hour the next morning after all of our celebrating and the 45-minute trip back across Lake Pontchartrain. After a few hours sleep we headed right back to New Orleans for………..shopping!! We gals always have to go to the French Market and George always has to go to Café du Monde for beignets and coffee (he prefers chocolate). Of course, if he didn’t put it on the “to do” list, one of us would have to. It isn’t a visit until we’ve been to the Café du Monde. We initiated Rocky on his first visit by blowing powdered sugar all over him…….he’s a good natured guy so he laughed along with us when he realized he’d been “had.”
We had to celebrate my birthday one day early as the kids had to go to work and we needed to get home. So the eve of my birthday, we had a nice supper and all of the children gave me a beautiful gold necklace…….Brian and Faye were there to help with the festivities….I was treated like Queen of the Day….truly a royal evening.
The next day we hugged LJ goodbye as he headed off to school….then John and Barb……we gathered everything up in the van and headed north. Once home, George left the next morning and Becky returned to work. We were home in time to decorate my family graves before Memorial Day and the last day of the month Rocky and I met his sister Marie and her husband Harold at Rolla for lunch……then drove on to Cuba, Mo. where the Rockenbach parent’s are buried. It was a little late for Memorial Day but we wanted to take flowers. I have always respected Rocky‘s family and happy to have known all of them in earlier days.
It takes a lot of living to make a life…….and each life is worth living…….
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
